By Christopher Adams, NZ Herald New Zealand businesses need to wake up to reality that they are not viewed as being particularly “special” in the Chinese market, says Beijing-based Kiwi businessman David Mahon. Addressing the China Business Summit in Auckland this afternoon, the managing director of Mahon Investments said this country was good at “self-propagandising” its success in the world’s …

By Brierley Penn “Think global, but act local,” said Christopher Luxon, of Air NZ, citing the need to have intimate knowledge of individual markets in order to be internationally successful. In 2013, then CEO of the airline was building a focus on using local marketing to connect to customers, recognizing that a one size fits all approach can never be …

By Brierley Penn In 2012, China became the largest outbound market of any in the world, growing 40 per cent relative to the 2011 period. In the next 12 months, China had become the second most important travel market for New Zealand, said Kevin Bowler, CEO of Tourism NZ, with Chinese visitors to NZ spending $645m each year. However, Bowler …

By Brierley Penn “New Zealand brand perception has been created over the past 100 years,” said Marco Marinkovich, CEO of Creative Bank at the 2013 China Business Summit. “Perception is reality.” “If I said Ronald Regan, you would think Watergate. If I said Bill Clinton, you would think Monica. If I said Lance Armstrong, you would think drug cheat.” It …

By Brierley Penn Cathy Quinn, Chair of Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, shared her success strategies for Chinese investment transactions in New Zealand at the China Business Summit this morning. Most importantly, she reminded the audience that it is vital to both understand and invest in your relationship with Chinese counterparts. “We’re the little guys, so we need to understand how …

By Brierley Penn “I think that we are world class in manufacturing and in food safety, but we have to lift our game,”said Theo Spierings, CEO of Fonterra, at today’s China Business Summit, held in Auckland. “We have to become the NASA of food safety and quality.” Spierings brought a message of collaboration and unity in rebuilding New Zealand’s reputation …

By Christopher Adams, NZ Herald Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings says a “she’ll be right attitude” was one of the causes of the company’s botulism fiasco. Business leaders have gathered in Auckland today for the annual China Business Summit. The event’s main focus this year is the ongoing impact of Fonterra’s whey protein contamination scare, which led to a global …

free gps cell phone tracker laremont McKenna College professor Minxin Pei on former Chongqing Party chief Bo Xilai?s corruption trial and the fragility of Beijing?s rule with WSJ’s Mary Kissel. &nbsp

Health Minister Tony Ryall and Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye confirm that Nutricia has today narrowed the scope of the recall for infant formula.  “The Ministry for Primary Industries and Nutricia’s verification work has enabled the recall to be narrowed only to 900g cans manufactured between 21 May 2013 and 2 August 2013 inclusive,” Kaye says.  The following 900g cans remain …

By Brierley Penn There is huge potential for Māori businesses to play a role in the China growth story, but unlocking this potential requires a concerted strategy, based on leveraging key strengths. “The big story in global markets at the moment is about the alignment between natural resources and China’s growing needs,” says David Harrison, ANZ’s Head of Māori Relationships. New …